Children&#39;s toy playfort

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to an improved children&#39;s toy playfort and a method of setting up a children&#39;s toy playfort. According to one aspect, the toy playfort comprises a canopy and a free-standing support structure for supporting the canopy. The support structure includes a first section and a second section that telescopes with respect to the first section to vary the height of the support structure. The canopy is secured to the support structure by an attachment that is provided between a central region of the canopy and a central region of the support structure, the support structure including a storage compartment to store the canopy. The method of setting up the playfort comprises telescoping at least one section of a support structure with respect to a base section to increase the height of the support structure, taking the canopy out from inside the support structure, and attaching the canopy to various objects located around the periphery of the canopy via attachment devices provided around the perimeter of the canopy to set up the playfort.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The principles disclosed herein relate generally to a children's toy playfort and the method of setting up a children's toy playfort.

BACKGROUND

Small children like to set up miniature shelters, tents, or forts in which they can hide out or play various games with their friends. To set up such mini shelters, children, or, often times, their parents, have to resort to using various household articles such as bed sheets, blankets, and different pieces of furniture. Toy companies have come up with numerous tent-style children's playfort or play shelter designs to make it easier on the children and their parents. However, most designs in the market require multiple pieces, are bulky, and are cumbersome to set up and to store away. Multiple pieces, especially smaller ones, can easily get lost and, in certain circumstances, create a health hazard for children. What is needed in the art is an easy-to-set-up and take-down/store children's playfort that is compact, is portable, and does not require multiple pieces.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure describes embodiments relating to an improved children's toy playfort that is compact, portable, easy to set-up, and easy to take-down and a method of setting up the improved children's toy playfort.

According to the one aspect of the disclosure, the children's playfort includes a canopy and a support structure that supports the canopy. The canopy is attached to the support structure and also has attachment means to attach it to various household furniture such as chairs and tabletops, etc. to set up the playfort. The support structure has hollow sections that telescope with respect to each other to erect the playfort. The hollow support structure also serves as a storage compartment for the canopy when the playfort is taken down and put away for storage.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the playfort comprises a canopy and a free-standing support structure for supporting the canopy. The support structure includes a first section and a second section that telescopes with respect to the first section to vary the height of the support structure. The canopy is secured to the support structure by an attachment that is provided between a central region of the canopy and a central region of the support structure, the support structure including a storage compartment to store the canopy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate various embodiments that examples of how certain inventions can be put into practice. A brief description of the drawings is as follows:

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of a toy playfort having features that are examples of inventive aspects in accordance with the present disclosure, the playfort shown in a fully set-up configuration;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of a support structure of the playfort of FIG. 1, the support structure shown in a fully extended position;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is another top perspective view of the support structure of the playfort of FIG. 1, the support structure shown in a collapsed position;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of a base section of the support structure of FIG. 3;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of a middle section of the support structure of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of a top section of the support structure of FIG. 3;

FIG. 11 is a bottom perspective view of the top section of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a top perspective view of a cover for the top section of the support structure of FIG. 3;

FIG. 13 is a top view of a canopy of the children's playfort of FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a side view of an attachment device of the children's playfort of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 15 is an exploded view of another embodiment of a support structure adapted for use with the children's playfort of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1-14 illustrate a children's playfort 10 having features that are examples of how various inventive concepts disclosed herein can be practiced.

Referring to FIG. 1, the children's playfort 10 is shown from a bottom perspective view and is shown in a fully set-up configuration, as will be described herein in more detail.

The playfort 10 generally includes a canopy 20 and a support structure 30 for supporting the canopy 20. In FIG. 1, the support structure 30 is shown in a fully extended configuration with the canopy 20 taken out, ready to be attached to chairs, tabletops, or other types of home furnishings to set up the children's playfort 10. FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the playfort 10 along section line 2-2 of FIG. 1, showing the interior of the support structure 30. The support structure is a free-standing structure requiring no other means to keep it standing up.

Referring to FIG. 3, the support structure 30 is shown in isolation. The support structure 30 of the playfort 10 generally includes a base section 40, a middle section 50, and a top section 60. The middle section 50 and the top section 60 are constructed to telescope with respect to the base 40 to set up the playfort 10. The top section 60 has a cover 70 for forming an enclosed structure when the playfort 10 is taken down and ready for storage. FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along section line 4-4 of FIG. 3, showing the relative positioning of the sections of the support structure 30 when the support structure is in the fully extended configuration.

Referring to FIG. 5, the support structure 30 is shown in a collapsed (storage) configuration. FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along section line 6-6 of FIG. 5, showing the relative positioning of the sections of the support structure 30 when the support structure 30 is in the collapsed configuration.

Referring now to FIG. 7, the base section 40 of the support structure 30 is shown. The base section 40 includes a hollow body 41 including a wide, circular bottom surface 42 and a cylindrical sidewall 43 that tapers in from the bottom surface 42 to a narrower, upper snout portion 44. The wide bottom surface 42 provides the stability to make the support structure 30 a free-standing structure. It should be understood that, in other embodiments, the shape of the bottom surface 42 of the base section 40 could be a shape other than a circle. The body 40 defines an inner cavity 45 within. As illustrated in FIG. 8, the base section 40 also includes a pair of oppositely positioned tabs 46 protruding toward the inner cavity 45 about halfway up the sidewall 43 of the base section 40. The tabs 46 of the base section 40 are configured to keep the middle section 50 in an erected position when the fort 10 is set up, as will be explained in further detail below. The body 41 of the base section 40 also defines a pair of rectangular cavities 47. These cavities 47 may be filled with sand or water and sealed up to provide for added weight for the base section 40 of the support structure 30. In a preferred embodiment, the cavities 47 would include caps to make them refillable so that during storage or transport of the playfort, the cavities can remain empty.

Referring to FIG. 9, the middle section 50 of the support structure 30 is shown. The middle section 50 generally includes a hollow body 51 with a cylindrical sidewall 52 extending from a closed bottom surface 53 to an open upper end 56. The body 51 includes a pair of oppositely positioned longitudinal guides 54 defined along the cylindrical sidewall 52 (only one shown in FIG. 9). The guides 54 extend only about halfway up the sidewall 52 of the middle section 50. The guides 54 are configured to mate with the tabs 46 of the base section 40. The tabs 46 ride along the guides 54 when the playfort 10 is being set up and being collapsed. When the playfort 10 is being set up for play, the middle section 50 of the support structure 30 is telescoped with respect to the base section 40 with the tabs 46 riding along the guides 54. After the middle section 50 has been raised all the way, the middle section 50 is rotated slightly such that the tabs 46 of the base section 40 are no longer in alignment with the guides 54 of the middle section 50. As such, the tabs 46 abut against the bottom surface 53 of the middle section 50 to keep the middle section 50 raised. This is illustrated in the cross-sectional view of the support structure 30 in FIG. 4.

Referring back to FIG. 9, the middle section 50 also includes a pair of oppositely positioned tabs 55 protruding radially inwardly. The tabs 55 are positioned adjacent the upper end 56 of the body 51. The tabs 55 are placed 90 degrees offset from the longitudinal guides 54 of the middle section. The tabs 55 of the middle section serve a similar purpose to the tabs of the base section 40, as will be described in further detail below.

Referring now to FIGS. 10 and 11, the top section 60 of the support structure 30 is shown. The top section 60 of the support structure 30 includes a head portion 61 and an integrally molded neck portion 62. The head portion 61 is hollow and has a substantially hemispherical shape. The head 61 includes an opening 63 at the top. The canopy 20 of the playfort 10 is stored inside the hollow head 61 when the playfort 10 is not set up for play. The canopy 20 is taken out of and put back into the head 61 through the opening 63. The cover 70 (illustrated in FIG. 12) is used to seal the head 61 when the playfort is stored away.

The integral neck portion 62 is also hollow and has a generally cylindrical shape. The neck 62 includes a closed bottom surface 64 with a small opening 69 located in the center of the surface 64.

The neck 62 includes two pairs of oppositely positioned longitudinal guides 65 and 66 defined in the cylindrical sidewall 67. Longitudinal guides 65 extend about halfway up the sidewall 67 and are wider than guides 66. Longitudinal guides 66 are narrower in width and extend the entire length of the neck 62. Narrow guides 66 also include laterally offset L-shaped grooves 68 about halfway up the cylindrical sidewall 67.

As illustrated in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 6, the wider guides 65 are shaped to accommodate the tabs 46 of the base section 40 and the guides 54 of the middle section 50 of the support structure 30. The narrower guides 66 are used to receive the tabs 55 of the middle section 50. The L-shaped grooves 68 act as catches for the tabs 55 of the middle section 50 during set-up of the playfort 10.

For example, during set-up, when the top section 60 is being telescoped relative to the middle section 50, the tabs 55 of the middle section ride along the guides 66 of the top section 60. When the tabs 55 reach the L-shaped grooves 68, the top section 60 is rotated slightly to receive the tabs 55 within the L-shaped grooves 68. Guides 65 are wider to accommodate for this rotation of the top section 60 relative to the middle section 50. After the tabs 55 have been engaged into the L-shaped grooves 68, further raising of the top section 60 causes the middle section 50 of the support structure to also raise relative to the base section 40. And as discussed previously, after fully raising the middle section 50, the middle section 50 can be rotated slightly to keep it erect relative to the base section 40.

When the playfort is taken down for storage, the entire process is reversed. The top section 60 can be slightly lifted and rotated, releasing the tabs 55 of the middle section 50 from the L-shaped grooves 68, and the top section 60 can be lowered relative to the middle section 50. Similarly, the middle section 50 can be rotated until the tabs 46 of the base section 40 align with the guides 54 of the middle section 50 to slide the middle section 50 into the base cavity 45. In this manner, the entire neck portion 62 of the top section 60 and the entire middle section 50 can be collapsed into the cavity 45 of the base section 40 to make the support structure 30 very compact (as illustrated in FIG. 6).

In certain embodiments, the sections of the support structure 30 can be molded from polyethylene. In other embodiments, the support structure may be made from other types or plastics or other types of materials.

Referring to FIG. 13, the canopy 20 of the playfort 10 is illustrated. The canopy 20 generally includes a fabric portion 21 and attachment devices 22 (illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 14) that are positioned around the perimeter of the fabric portion 21. As shown in FIG. 13, the attachment devices 22 can be secured to the fabric 21 via elastic cord 23 stitched to the fabric 21. It should be understood that other means of attachment can be used to secure the attachment devices 22 to the fabric 21.

The canopy 20 is attached to the center of the support structure 30 via a thicker elastic cord 24 that is stitched to the center of the canopy 20 (illustrated in FIG. 2). The canopy 20 is attached to the support structure 30 by feeding the elastic cord 24 that is secured to the center or the canopy through the small opening 69 located at the bottom surface 64 of the top section 60 (see FIG. 11) and tying a knot 25 at the end of it. It should be understood that the elastic cord 24 is only one of many means of attachment that can be used to secure the canopy to the support structure 30. With the canopy 20 attached as such, a compact, single-piece, portable playfort is created. By providing an attachment from the center portion of the canopy to the center portion of the support structure, the support structure can be positioned in the center region of the canopy with the canopy symmetrically extending out from the support structure. The outer edges of the canopy 20 can then be secured to objects around the periphery of the playfort 10.

The top section 60 of the canopy can be raised either by pulling up on the head portion 61 or by taking out the canopy 20 and pulling on the elastic cord 24. And, for storage, the canopy 20 can simply be stuffed back into the hollow head 61. Although depicted as having a hexagonal shape, in other embodiments, the canopy can have any number of sides. The canopy 20 preferably has a major diameter of about 18.5 feet. In certain embodiments, it may have a diameter of about 15 feet to about 25 feet. And in certain other embodiments, it may have a diameter of about 17 feet to about 22 feet. In certain other embodiments, it may have a diameter of about 20 feet.

In certain embodiments, the fabric portion 21 of the canopy can be manufactured from flame retardant nylon parachute material that is about 0.004″ thick. In other embodiments, the fabric may be made from other materials.

FIG. 14 illustrates the attachment device 22 utilized with the canopy 20 of the playfort 10. As discussed previously, the attachment devices 22 can be used to attach the canopy 20 of the playfort 10 to various types of furniture such as chairs, tabletops, etc. In FIG. 14, the attachment device 22 is depicted as a gator clip with a hole located at its center that is used to couple the clip to the canopy 20 via an elastic cord 23. The gator clip also includes adhesive surfaces 26 at the “teeth” region to provide for a more secure attachment. It should be understood that the gator clip is only one example of a type of attachment device that can be utilized with the playfort 10 and that other types of attachment means such as adhesive tapes, other types of clips, velcro-wraps, etc. are also possible.

By attaching different portions of the canopy to different objects, the shape of the playfort 10 can be varied. For example, certain portions of the canopy 20 can be attached to taller objects and other portions can be attached to shorter objects varying the look and feel of the created fort or dwelling. On the other hand, the entire canopy 20 can be attached close to the ground surface to form a tent-like structure.

FIG. 15 illustrates another embodiment of a support structure 130 adapted for use with the children's playfort 10 of FIG. 1. The support structure 130 illustrated in FIG. 15 is similar to the support structure 30 of FIG. 3 except that it utilizes a different mechanism for keeping the sections of the support structure raised. The support structure 130 in FIG. 15 utilizes flexible cantilever arms 131 with tabs 132 and matching holes 133 in adjoining sections to keep the sections of the support structure 130 raised. For collapsing the structure 130, the tabs 132 can simply be pressed to release the adjoining sections. It should be understood that the inventive aspects of the disclosure are not limited only to those embodiments disclosed herein, but other mechanisms or techniques within the skill of the art can be utilized the lock and release the sections of the support structure.

The playfort 10, when fully set-up, preferably extends about 5 feet in height. In certain embodiments, it may have a height of about 3 feet to about 7 feet. And in certain other embodiments, it may have a height of about 4 feet to about 6 feet.

When in a collapsed configuration, the playfort 10, preferably has a height of about 3 feet. In certain embodiments, it may have a height of about 2 feet to about 4 feet. And in certain other embodiments, it may have a height of about 2.5 feet to about 3.5 feet.

For decorative purposes, the base section and the middle section of the support structure 30 or 130 of the playfort 10 may be molded in color brown and the top section may be molded in color green to resemble a tree trunk and tree leaves, respectively.

It will be appreciated that many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and the broad scopes of the invention are not intended to be limited by the specific embodiments depicted and described herein. 

1. A toy playfort comprising: a canopy; and a free-standing support structure for supporting the canopy, the support structure including a first section and a second section that telescopes with respect to the first section to vary a height of the support structure, the canopy secured to the support structure by an attachment that is provided between a central region of the canopy and a central region of the support structure, the support structure including a storage compartment to store the canopy.
 2. A toy playfort according to claim 1, wherein the attachment between the canopy and the support structure is provided via a cord.
 3. A toy playfort according to claim 1, wherein the canopy includes an attachment device provided around its perimeter for securing the canopy to various household objects to set up the playfort.
 4. A toy playfort according to claim 3, wherein the attachment device includes a gator clip.
 5. A toy playfort according to claim 1, wherein the first section is a base section adapted to make the playfort a free-standing structure, the support structure including at least two other sections that telescope with respect to the base section to vary the height of the support structure.
 6. A toy playfort according to claim 1, wherein the second section includes a hollow body for storing the canopy.
 7. A toy playfort according to claim 1, wherein the sections of the support structure include tabs for keeping the telescoping sections extended with respect to each other.
 8. A toy playfort according to claim 7, wherein the sections of the support structure include longitudinal guides mating with the tabs for slidably collapsing the support structure for storage.
 9. A toy playfort comprising: a free-standing support structure including sections that telescope with respect to each other to vary a height of the support structure; and a canopy supported by the support structure, the canopy including attachment devices provided around its perimeter for attaching the canopy to household objects to form the playfort.
 10. A toy playfort according to claim 9, wherein the attachment devices include gator clips.
 11. A toy playfort according to claim 9, wherein the canopy is attached to the support structure via a cord.
 12. A toy playfort according to claim 9, wherein the support structure includes a wide base to make the support structure free-standing.
 13. A toy playfort according to claim 9, wherein the sections of the support structure include tabs for keeping the telescoping sections extended with respect to each other.
 14. A toy playfort according to claim 13, wherein the sections of the support structure include longitudinal guides mating with the tabs for slidably collapsing the support structure for storage.
 15. A method of using a playfort, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a free-standing support structure that includes a wide base for making the support structure free-standing and a canopy stored within a storage compartment of the support structure; (b) telescoping at least one section of the support structure with respect to the base to increase a height of the support structure; (c) taking the canopy out from inside the support structure; (d) attaching the canopy to various objects located around a periphery of the canopy via attachment devices provided around a perimeter of the canopy to set up the playfort.
 16. A method according to claim 15, wherein the support structure includes at least two sections that telescope with respect to the base and with respect to each other.
 17. A method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of storing away the playfort by stuffing the canopy into the support structure and collapsing the telescoping sections of the support structure to decrease the height.
 18. A method according to claim 15, wherein the sections of the support structure include tabs for keeping the telescoping sections extended with respect to each other.
 19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the sections of the support structure include longitudinal guides mating with the tabs for slidably collapsing the support structure for storage.
 20. A method according to claim 15, wherein the attachment devices include gator clips. 